Pilots incensed at Merrill LynchAmerican Airlines' pilot...

THE BALTIMORE SUN

Pilots incensed at Merrill Lynch

American Airlines' pilot union, furious over a report by a Merrill Lynch & Co. stock analyst, is yanking a $14 million account away from the securities firm and asking its 11,500 members to switch accounts to other firms.

The Allied Pilots Association is incensed about a March Merrill Lynch research report that it claims pins the airline industry's woes on high labor costs, particularly high pilot pay.

Pay-TV firm, Universal agree

DirecTv Inc., a satellite pay-television service, has signed an agreement with MCA Inc.'s Universal Pictures to offer the studio's movies.

This is the latest agreement reached by DirecTv, a unit of General Motors Corp.'s Hughes Electronics, which is set to launch its 150-channel service in early 1994. DirecTv will offer 50 to 60 movie channels with thousands of titles showing every 30 minutes.

Big profits seen for Big 3

Combined second-quarter profits of the Big Three automakers could reach $2 billion, according to analysts who call the industry's recovery one of the few positive signs in a stalled economy.

The April-June period, typically the industry's strongest, could help push General Motors Corp., Ford Motor Co. and Chrysler Corp. to full-year operating profits.

Tandy taps ex-Shoney's head

Consumer electronics retailer Tandy Corp. named Leonard Roberts, former chairman of Shoney's Inc. restaurant chain, president of its Radio Shack division yesterday. Before he headed Shoney's, Mr. Roberts was president and CEO of the Arby's Inc. fast-food chain for five years.

America West's discounts matched

Major airlines matched America West's discounts of up to 30 percent yesterday, but restricted the sale to routes flown by the Phoenix-based airline.

America West has been discounting its advance-purchase tickets in various ways since November. Major airlines, including American, United and Delta, matched the discounts, as they have routinely since autumn.

Disclose prices, MCI ordered

A federal judge ordered MCI Communications yesterday to disclose its prices to large corporate customers in greater detail, a ruling that strengthens the hand of AT&T.;

The order by Judge Stanley S. Harris means that MCI will have to publicly reveal all the rates it charges for complex packages of services.